# US 2008/0188727 A1 · Broadband solid-state spectroscopy illuminator and method

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- Number: US 2008/0188727 A1
- Document ID: US20080188727A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/101,906
- Filed: 2008-04-11
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2002-04-09
- Inventors: David A. Benaron; Illian H. Parachikov; Michael R. Fierro
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080188727A1

## CPC

- A61B 5/412: {Detecting or monitoring sepsis}
- A61B 1/00165: {with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics (A61B1/07 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/0075: {by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/0084: {for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/1459: invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter
- A61B 5/42: {Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems (A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence)}
- G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
- A61B 5/14558: {by polarisation}
- G01N 2201/062: LED's
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

An improved spectroscopy illuminator (103) for generating broadband light and for delivering the light to a sample with an improved delivery efficiency, for higher optical density and/or reduced thermal transfer uses a solid-state broadband white LED (107) to produce broadband light (114), which is then transmitted to a sample region (125), such as a living tissue or blood in vivo or a biological sample in a spectrophotometer target region. The solid-state source keeps both the illuminator and sample cool during operation, allowing the illuminator to be integrated into the tip of a medical probe, a medical system such as an oximeter, or other monitoring systems or devices making measurements based on light scattering, absorbance, fluorescence, phosphorescence, Raman effects, use of a contrast agent, or other known spectroscopy techniques. Systems incorporating the improved illuminator, and methods of use are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-23. (canceled)

### Claim 24

A broadband illuminator for use in illuminating spectroscopy samples comprising at least one solid-state broadband light source, wherein the broadband spectroscopy source emits useable light over a wavelength range of 40 nm or more.

### Claim 25

A broadband illuminator for use in illuminating spectroscopy samples comprising at least one solid-state broadband light source, wherein the broadband spectroscopy source emits useable light over a wavelength range of at least 100 nm.

### Claim 26

A broadband illuminator for use in illuminating spectroscopy samples comprising at least one solid-state broadband light source, wherein the solid-state broadband light source emits useable light over a wavelength range of at least 100 nm, and wherein said solid-state broadband light source is a broadband LED.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24, 25, 26)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25 or 26, wherein said illuminator is incorporated into a device or system.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The illuminator of claim 27, wherein the device or system is configured to enable an analysis performed using at least a portion of the light returning after interaction with the sample.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The illuminator of claim 27, where said device or system is selected from the group of devices or systems consisting of: spectrophotometers, microdevices, microchip, lab-on-a-chip, or other small optical device with space and size constraints, disposable optical devices, or other optical spectroscopy devices and systems.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The illuminator of claim 28, further comprising an analysis system configured to perform the analysis by solution of multiple simultaneous spectroscopic equations.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, further wherein said illuminator is incorporated into a medical device or a medical system.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The illuminator of claim 31, wherein the medical device or medical system is selected from the group of medical devices and systems consisting of: probes for medical endoscopic use, targetable injection needles, catheters, needles, catheters with extendable needles, nibblers, devices with jaws, scissors, probes that measure colon oxygenation, probes that measure by pulse oximetry, probes that measure arterial oxygenation, probes that measure oxygen delivery to the body's core organs, probes that measure in the gastrointestinal system including could reasonably include the oropharynx, nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, ileum, colon, or other gastrointestinal tissues.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The illuminator of claim 31, wherein the medical device is a probe configured for use in measuring oxygenation.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The illuminator of claim 31, wherein the medical device is an oximeter probe.

### Claim 35 (depends on 31)

The illuminator of claim 31, wherein the medical device is a probe is configured to monitor any one or more of: met-hemoglobin, carboxy-hemoglobin, and other blood components.

### Claim 36 (depends on 36)

The illuminator of claim 36, wherein the monitoring of met-hemoglobin, carboxy-hemoglobin, and other blood components is achieved by pulse oximetry.

### Claim 37 (depends on 31)

The illuminator of claim 31, wherein the medical device is configured to identify tissue by type or state.

### Claim 38 (depends on 24, 25, 26)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25 or 26, wherein the illuminator is a medical device configured for use inside, or in contact with, living tissue.

### Claim 39 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a spectrophotometer.

### Claim 40 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the light is pulsed.

### Claim 41 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a system where the light is analyzed as time-resolved, frequency-resolved, or spatially-resolved.

### Claim 42 (depends on 26)

The illuminator of claim 26, wherein the broadband LED is comprised of multiple light emitting elements to produce a broadband and continuous spectrum of light.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The illuminator of claim 42 wherein the multiple light emitting elements are comprised of a combination of different light emitting diodes.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The illuminator of claim 43 wherein each of the multiple LEDs operate in at least one wavelength band.

### Claim 45 (depends on 26)

The illuminator of claim 26, wherein the broadband LED is a white LED

### Claim 46 (depends on 26)

The illuminator of claim 26, wherein the broadband LED comprises a blue LED and a phosphor.

### Claim 47 (depends on 26)

The illuminator of claim 26, wherein the broadband LED comprises an LED and a fluorescent dye.

### Claim 48 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the illuminator operates to produce at least a portion of its light in the infrared spectrum.

### Claim 49 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the illuminator operates to produce at least a portion of its light in the ultraviolet spectrum.

### Claim 50 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, further comprising a target signal, where said target signal is enhanced, produced, or detected, at least in part, by one or more of the following: light absorbance, polarization, optical rotation, scattering, fluorescence, Raman effects, phosphorescence, fluorescence decay, re-emission, use of a contrast agent, dye shift, or other spectroscopy techniques.

### Claim 51 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25, or 26, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a pulse oximeter.

### Claim 52 (depends on 24, 25)

The illuminator of claim 24, 25 , or 26, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a medical device that analyzes hemoglobins selected from the list of hemoglobins consisting of: methemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin, and hemoglobins blood components.

### Claim 53

A spectroscopy method comprising:
illuminating a sample with a broadband illumination from a broadband solid-state illuminator, wherein said broadband illuminator emits useable light over a wavelength range of at least 100 nm; and
performing optical spectroscopy.

### Claim 54 (depends on 53)

The method of claim 53, wherein the illuminator is a broadband LED.

### Claim 55

A spectroscopy method wherein illumination of a sample is achieved using a broadband LED.

### Claim 56 (depends on 53, 55)

The method of claim 53 or 55, wherein performing optical spectroscopy further includes: obtaining a target signal, where said target signal is enhanced, produced, or detected, at least in part, by one or more of the following methods: light absorbance, polarization, optical rotation, scattering, fluorescence, Raman effects, phosphorescence, fluorescence decay, re-emission, use of a contrast agent, dye shift, or other spectroscopy techniques.

### Claim 57 (depends on 54)

The method of claim 54, wherein the broadband LED is comprised of multiple light emitting elements to produce a broadband and continuous spectrum of light.

### Claim 58 (depends on 57)

The method of claim 57 wherein the multiple light emitting elements are comprised of a combination of different light emitting diodes.

### Claim 59 (depends on 58)

The method of claim 58 wherein each of the multiple LEDs operate in at least one wavelength band;

### Claim 60 (depends on 54)

The method of claim 54 wherein the broadband LED is a white LED.

### Claim 61 (depends on 53, 55)

The method of claim 53 or 55, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a pulse oximeter.

### Claim 62 (depends on 53, 55)

The method of claim 53 or 55, wherein the illuminator is incorporated into a medical device that analyzes hemoglobins and further including the step of monitoring hemoglobins selected from the list of hemoglobins consisting of met-hemoglobin, carboxy-hemoglobin, and other hemoglobins.